Floyd Mayweather named world’s highest-paid athlete for 2015

Floyd Mayweather has been named the world’s highest-paid athlete for a second successive year. According to figures released by Forbes, the unbeaten pound-for-pound king has amassed $300million – with only $15m coming from endorsements.

That reveals the majority of Mayweather’s earnings came from May’s super-fight with Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino’s takings of $160m comfortably make him the second-highest earner. Mayweather, Pacquiao and Tiger Woods are now the only athletes to earn NINE-FIGURE incomes in a single year.

Forbes’ figures include salaries, bonuses, prize money and appearance fees, plus estimates on and endorsement and licensing income for the past 12 months. Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo edges out Lionel Messi for third with his earnings of $79.6m almost six million more than the Barcelona man. Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer completes the top five ahead of basketball’s LeBron James and Kevin Durant.